Apart from buying the right horse for your needs, the biggest challenge is finding the right livery option that suits you and your horse. You will need to weigh up all the options and needs, not to mention the cost before you make the decision. The last thing you want to do is to keep moving your horse from one home to another. Do you want all the mod cons of a competition yard or is turnout more important to you? Can you cope with being on a competition yard and lorries coming and going every weekend? Getting on with other livery owners is a must - after all it may be your 'second' home.

What options are there for you.

DIY - Either on a livery yard, sharing a rented field or if you can find it - a yard  you rent all to yourself. The initial cost will be large as you will need to buy everything from a shovel to a wheelbarrow, feed bins to hay. A tough but rewarding commitment. Only for those who are really committed.

ASSISTED DIY - If you are on a DIY yard, the yard manager generally offers you some assistance eg turn out, feeding. This will cost you extra on top of your basic DIY rent. Good choice if you fancy a lie in at the weekends or cannot bring your horse in before dark in the winter.

WORKING LIVERY - Your horse lives and works in a riding school. He is then used by any rider. You will need to agree the amount of hours per week your horse works and any specific time you want to ride. This way he will be exercised if you are unable to do it yourself.

PART LIVERY - This means different things to different people. Basically the mucking out, poo-picking, turnout, daily care and feed/hay is part of the livery payment. It is then the owners responsibility to ride the horse and clean the tack. Ensure you know exactly what you are paying for and what you get for your money.

FULL LIVERY - Everything is done for your horse, including exercise and tack cleaning. Ideal if you have a long daily commute to work and you can only ride at weekends, however you tend not to bond as well with your horse or know his personality inside out. Perfect if you have a very busy lifestyle.

Whichever livery option you choose, take the time to make sure it is the right one for you and your horse. Does your horse prefer to live out? How much time do you have - are you able to have him on DIY? If money isn't a big concern - then perhaps part livery is best. Do you really need an indoor schooling area or horse walker?

My suggestions is to write down all your needs. eg - distance to get there, time you have available, money, work or family commitments, are your showing your horse or is he just an occasionally hack that prefers to live out. Anything you can think of and put the positives and negatives against each.

Visit lots of yards and ask heaps of questions. Don't be afraid to keep visiting. Enlist people you trust - do they have any issues they have faced or yards they could recommend.  Vets and tack shops are a very useful source of local information. Chat to other liveries and find out what they find good and bad about the yard they are at.

Once you have moved in, play your part and be a good livery owner. Good communications are vital on both sides. Be honest about everything egif  your horse weaves or you need help making him stand still while you mount. People are very willing to help if you ask for it instead of showing off and trying to be a know all.

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